This Salmon Cream Cheese Dip is CRAZY GOOD! It’s a recipe of my mother in law’s that I tweaked just slightly because she doesn’t really measure it and I thought you guys would appreciate some actual measurements of the ingredients. I first tried this dip when she was helping us with our house and brought it over for lunch. We were driving to Ikea looking for a bathroom vanity (not the right place to find one!) and my stomach began growling like a mama bear guarding her cubs!
I gave a little giggle and began looking for a fast food restaurant (this was our 2 weeks of shame eating out for every meal because there was NO time to cook). Instead she reached under her seat and handed me a plastic container and crackers. The satisfying pop of the lid coming off promised a treasure hidden inside, a promised realized as the scent of smoked salmon wafted up to my nose.
A smile spread across my face and I couldn’t get the crackers open fast enough! The dip was incredible and I couldn’t stop eating it. Finally we arrived at Ikea and I longingly left the van with the dip locked inside. Unfortunately they didn’t have any nice bathroom vanities, I should have stayed with the salmon dip!
I emailed her last week for the recipe because I knew this would be the perfect thing to have on hand for the crazy days of packing and moving. She did her best guess at measurements, and I played around to get the perfect ratio of salmon to cream cheese. It was great with cucumber spears, crackers, mixed in pasta, and even in sushi!
I made this with leftover salmon that we had for dinner which was cooked with garlic cloves tucked into it. If you’re using canned salmon or salmon cooked plain, I’d suggest adding some minced garlic or garlic powder to your dip. The secret ingredient in this dip is liquid smoke! It gives a deep smoky flavor that lingers in your senses and creates visions of salmon smokehouses in your mind.
Give this dip a try for your next busy week, or party, or even something cold to take to work for lunch. Any other ideas for how to use it?
Salmon Cream Cheese Dip
makes about 3 cupsIngredients
2 cups torn up salmon
12 oz (or 1 1/2 cups) cream cheese
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp minced onion (I used a microplane grater)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 8 turns of pepper grinder)
Instructions
Mix everything together really well. Yes that’s it! I used a stand mixer for speed, but you can mix it by hand too. Store in the refrigerator and serve hot or cold.
Approximate cost/serving: Our salmon was some tasty coho given to us by friends, but at the typical cost of getting our salmon it would be $5 to make the dip. But it can feed 20 people as an appetizer at a party, so it’s only 20 cents a person!!!
Gluten Free: Yes! Serve with cucumbers and carrot sticks for a gluten free snack, appetizer, or meal.
Yum. I always love your smart ways to use up leftovers and this sounds ingenius as always. I bet it would also be fantastic on a bagel with some cucumber, tomato, and sprouts.
It looks good and sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it when I have leftover salmon.
I’m always looking for different ways to incorporate salmon into our diet. This sounds so good Diana! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never heard of liquid smoke but I am totally intrigued!
This looks soo tasty! We love salmon and dip, I can’t wait to try this recipe with the kids
I substituted real alder smoked salmon for liquid smoke, and it was excellent.GR
I bet! My husband and I made this from salmon we cooked over a campfire. No need for liquid smoke if you’ve got the real deal! Thanks for commenting George.
Salmon dip is always a great crowd pleaser.
A great twist to this recipe is to substitute grated horseradish in place of the liquid smoke. The lemon and horseradish pair very nicely and make even canned salmon taste nice and fresh!
Great for the holidays and also very economical.
I’ll have to give that a try Chef Denver, thanks for the suggestion!
I make one nearly like this. I put it on a tray and shape it like a fish and top it with chopped parsley and chopped pecans. Very yummy!
I have made this many times. It’s a dip my mom has made for many years. as Sarah says in her comments, I top it with chopped parsley and crushed pecans. Also a few other options are, add horseradish to taste (about 1 or 2 spoon fulls) and I use Philadelphia brand salmon flavored cream cheese. This also gives it a nice pinkish color and adds to the salmon taste.
Smoked salmon appetizer
top witkh chopped parsley and crushed pecans – maybe add 1 or 2 spoons of horseradish.
What kind of salmon do I use? Canned, raw, cooked.?
You can use cooked salmon that’s crumbled up or canned salmon.
I’ve always made this spread for the holidays. I use a good quality canned salmon as well as smoked salmon (lox), I cover it in capers and serve with butter crackers.
Since liquid smoke has been known to bring on a raging bout of gout to my husband I never use it. Naturally smoked salmon, baked, grilled, canned or jarred works well with my recipe. I also add a touch of dill, grated red onion, minced capers, a couple drops of worcestershire sauce. You could also add dill relish. Cream cheese, sour cream & or mayo could all be used according to your taste. I make it a little different everytime never omitting the fresh lemon juice & no matter what it is always great!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I am a college student and my mom sent me home with a bunch of canned salmon and I had no idea what to do with it. Thank you for sharing!
I am always looking for delicious canapès to serve my weekend guests. I piped it into ready made small pastry cups with a little minced red onion and a caper on top. They were a hit. This recipe is definitely a keeper. My Mom used to have liquid smoke in the pantry and I always wondered what it was for. Now I know! Thanks for sharing this wonderful and very versatile recipe.
That’s wonderful! Thank you for letting me know Agnes.